a bunch of spineless cowards and liars like Sharon.

the little abu mazen. He is out manuvering them both and has been doing so since day one. Look more closely and think. He is now in the best position and waiting to see what the other two will do now. We are freezing, what will they deliver? ☺

Hamas and the PA see the weakness and smell victory. I guess they read Netanyahu's book . Sadly the people of Israel remain in their own little fog, staring out through rose coloured glasses. If the government does not stop him, we could very well use our country and our freedom.

It is not such a consistent article. If Begin supports the deal, becasue there is osme building going on, then it isn't a total sell out (for the right wing). The Shalit case is a symptom of a decade of neglect by the defeatists, including Judge barak, who through his generosity , prevented the destruction of strategic hideouts on the Gaza border, from where Shalit was ambushed.

Perhaps Netanyahu thinks this will ease the pressure coming from Washington, or get more support on the Iran issue. But so far there's no indication either is happening. I just listened to the full Mitchell press conference, and it appears little has changed. The US takes the freeze as "unprecedented", but the old mantras about settlements being "illegitimate" are still there, they still want the freeze extended to East Jerusalem, they still want a "contiguous" Palestine, and the US is already talking of "land swaps". And what of the Palestinians? They're urged to work on strengthening their security forces, cut down on incitement. That's it. As for those "gestures" from Arab countries? He now only expects to see those *after* direct negotiations resume. In other words, despite Israel's bending on settlements, the US is still not pressing the other side. Israel caved, but has nothing to show for it.

The article is wrong in calling Netanyahu's surrender "generosity". Apparently, Obama threatened Netanyahu. Instead of standing his ground like the Arabs and gaining some respect from Obama, he chose to put Israel's neck in a noose, hoping that Obama won't hang Israel. Netanyahu may have grown up in America, but he stills acts like a meek ghetto Jew.

And Bibi is supposed to be the expert on Terrorism - he once wrote a book on how to stop it ! He needs to write a new book: "The Israeli Politicans' Manual on How to Capitulate to Terrorists and Nurture terrorism ...whilst Managing to Fool the Public You're Defending Israel". Perhaps it could be edited by Bibi's "rebbe" in unilateral peace gestures, Ehud Olmert (he could even edit from prison) I am sure it would be an instant best seller -with rave reviews from Israeli media! So so sad.

What concessions have the Arabs made?

If by giving you mean continuing the occupation and oppression of other people, then yes.

Do you expect support from the international community for that stupid freezing move ??? And now,many people,among the most zionist ones will be hurt ! Licking his enemies and puking on friends is a shame .

What are we getting? Is there a 24 hour period in which there is no terrorist activity. Terrorism has been legitimatized by our lack of response.When will we learn the lesson. Is it better to give than to receive??

Israel has a chance to vote for or against settlement freezes and the monstrous Two State Final Solution. Israel resoundingly rejected settlement freezes and the Two State Final Solution. The two most pro Two State Final Solution parties, Labor and Meretz, were practically obliterated. The settlement freeze is an intolerable betrayal of Israel. Israel must rise up and end settlement freezes once and for all. There is no excuse to suffer another one.

Bibi is somewhat better than the Kadimist circus clowns: he hesitates and runs an internal moral survey prior to giving in - this means there is a delay between the decision to be made and giving in, which can be useful to the rest of us, giving us useful knowledge and a space of time to make our own response.

...your theme, that Bibi "keeps on giving" - your first example, a colony freeze. You lament how horrible this is and then you admit it was all simply a lie. "The pledges he made are 'pretend pledges.'” And Hamas does not "smell[] weakness" - Hamas simply upped the ante after witnessing Israel's dismal last swap that included Samir Kuntar. Israel has no one to blame for itself for the price for Gilad Shalit. Sleeping on duty, captured, and then / now a bargaining chip because Israel has a long history of bargaining with terrorists. Israel does not recognize Hamas, and they claim to not ever negotiate with Hamas, yet they are negotiating with Hamas for the release of Shalit in exchange for a lengthy list of prisoners. Yet even more Israeli "pretend".

What do the Palestinians do?

And you are simply willfully ignorant or a liar for not admitting it. I've read you long enough to know that you never change your rhetoric, because you do not learn or assimilate new facts like normal humans. There will be no "gestures" from the Palestinians because they are the victims. There will be no "gestures" from the Arab world because all they see is the usual Israeli posturing, Israel has instituted nothing new here. President Obama has been busy, he's not turned his full attention to Bibi's repeated slaps in the face, I suggest you have a little more patience and read all the Arab and Israeli press more thoroughly. Israel is terrified because the other shoe has yet to drop from President Obama. Iran's been rebuffed; if President Obama pulls off a climate deal and health care reform at or near year end, and it's not unlikely, woe unto Israel if it does not cooperate with the current administration's Rule of Law equally for all approach to US foreign policy. Ya feel me Ray?

This is just not true. He has given nothing. He announces a so called 'settlement freeze' but then there aren't enough 'inspectors' to check if the 'freeze' is actually happening and then his Defence Ministry announces permission for another 28 settlement buildings to be erected. Netanyahu has given NOTHING. And for it he and all the other self-delusionals will get nothing in terms of peace or quiet.

...they can't help but get worse because of Bibi's actions. His administration has made clear that what the Palestinians want or entitled to means nothing. (Lieberman yesterday) Outside of the insulated bubble much of Israel seems to live in, everyone knows this "freeze" is nothing but a ploy. If it was real, or had Bibi made one final status decision no matter what it was predicated upon, Bibi's government would be hastily dissolved within twenty-four hours. That's how the world knows there will be no peace with Israel. If there was ever a real chance, Israel's government would fold like a South American banana republic because Israel's public won't ever be able to accept a measly 78% of the original Mandate or even David Ben-Gurion's borders. The colonists and their enablers want it all. And recent reports indicate that there are a huge number of enablers.

Construction freeze, that´s a joke some arabs and others around the world are buying. There is and will be no freeze. Hell will freeze before before that. Wait and see.

"woe unto Israel if it does not cooperate with the currnet administraionss Rule of Law..." who are you trying to kid & threaten?? Your Obama government will not stop supporting Israel with aid. US needs Israel as much as Israel needs US;so pipe down will you.

Its far past the time to change the paradigm. How much more failure do we need : Israel gives and the arabs take and there is never peace. Israel must defeat the arabs militarily; then dictatate the peace terms and enforce them with an iron hand.

...you currently know it. Let me ask you something. If all this "force" would actually work, why has it not worked yet ever during this entire conflict? 7398 Palestinians have been killed from Israeli aggression over the last twenty years alone. There's that little mater of the Nakba. It will never be forgotten, and if Israel determines to exterminate it's further hurdle to colonial expansion, the Palestinian people, I can assure you the entire world will raise up against Israel. The Middle East has had more than enough Texas cowboy's with war in their eyes. G'way.

Israel (read: "occupation") etc. after Mohammed and as recent as Israel's return to sovereignty after 1813 years. As for "victims" you conveniently ignore that 95% of the arabs killed in self defense were terrorists. Ignore that arabs murdered Jews before 1967, before 1948, before 129 even. But I suppose youd call those serial child-murdering, satanic death-worshipping, nazi propoganda-imitating jihadists killed by Israel "victims" The screw is on the other foot- look at your feet.

funny too... Jordans population is 80% "palestinian" (arabs from judea, samaria , Israel) Jordans rulers are non-native foreign occupiers from mecca; British implants from 1920s JORDAN IS PALESTINE